South Indian

Calories in 2 idlis

The short answer

2 idlis, weighed

110kcal 2 idlis — 80 g in total — comes to about 110 calories, with 3.7 g protein, 22.6 g carbohydrate and 0.2 g fat.

Protein 3.7 g · 13.7% of energy Carbs 22.6 g · 84.2% of energy Fat 0.2 g · 2% of energy

SOURCE·ICMR–NIN dietary guidance for Indians + weighed portions·1 medium idli entered at 40 g·REVIEWED JUL 2026

Serving assumed: 1 medium idli ≈ 40 g — steamed, no oil at all — the lightest way to start an Indian day. Change the portion and every number below changes with it.

From a table row to one idli

Read the per-100 g row for idli out of the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 — analysed on Indian samples, so Indian wheat and Indian milk are not swapped for American ones. It gives 138 kcal and 4.6 g protein per 100 g.
Weigh what is actually served. This site enters 1 medium idli at 40 g (steamed, no oil at all — the lightest way to start an Indian day). That weight is the number other calorie sites decline to state, and it is where their answers stop being answers.
Multiply, linearly, and print the working: 138 × 40 ÷ 100 = 55 kcal per idli. Nothing is rounded up, adjusted or smoothed — two idlis are exactly twice one.
Reconcile the energy against its own macronutrients with Atwater factors on every build. A row more than 15% away from 4P + 4C + 9F (20% above 6 g of fibre) stops the build rather than shipping.

per idli   =  per 100 g  ×  serving grams ÷ 100
Idli               =    138 kcal ×   40 g ÷ 100  =  55 kcal
energy check       =  4P + 4C + 9F  ±15%  (±20% if fibre ≥ 6 g)

The full method, and where it is weakest →

Idli, entered by the portion

The same ledger as the main entry, with 2 idlis standing on the 2nd line.

Kitchen ledger — idli by the idli, one idli entered at 40 g. IFCT 2017 · JUL 2026
Portion	Grams	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Fibre
1 idli	40 g	55 kcal	1.8 g	11.3 g	0.1 g	0.9 g
2 idlis	80 g	110 kcal	3.7 g	22.6 g	0.2 g	1.8 g
3 idlis	120 g	166 kcal	5.5 g	33.8 g	0.4 g	2.8 g
1 plate of 3 idlis	120 g	166 kcal	5.5 g	33.8 g	0.4 g	2.8 g

SOURCE·ICMR–NIN dietary guidance for Indians + weighed portions·1 medium idli entered at 40 g·REVIEWED JUL 2026

Kept in kilocalories — the "calories" printed on a packet. Carbohydrate is available carbohydrate. Fibre is entered on its own line and is counted in neither the carbohydrate column nor the energy figure.

What it takes to burn off 2 idlis

Minutes of activity for a 70 kg adult to spend 110 kcal, using MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities. This is a scale check, not a licence — appetite rises with activity and the two do not cancel neatly.

26 min

Walking · easy pace, 4 km/h

21 min

Brisk walking · 5.6 km/h

12 min

Cycling · moderate, 19 km/h

9 min

Running · 8 km/h

SOURCE·2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities·MET × 3.5 × 70 kg ÷ 200·REVIEWED JUL 2026

Calculated as MET × 3.5 × 70 kg ÷ 200 kcal per minute. Full working on the method page, and the whole activity dataset at BurnLab.

Other quantities

1 idli55 kcal · 40 g 3 idlis166 kcal · 120 g Build a full thaliAdd several foods into one total

Questions

How many calories are in 2 idlis?

About 110 kcal, taking one idli as 40 g (steamed, no oil at all — the lightest way to start an Indian day). That is 3.7 g protein, 22.6 g carbohydrate and 0.2 g fat across 80 g of food.

Is 2 idlis too much?

It depends entirely on the rest of the day. 110 kcal is roughly 6% of a 2,000 kcal day and 7% of a 1,600 kcal day. The honest answer is that 2 idlis rarely makes a meal on its own — what goes with it usually decides the total.

How long does it take to burn off 2 idlis?

Roughly 26 minutes of easy walking, 21 minutes of brisk walking or 9 minutes of running for a 70 kg adult. Useful for scale — not a licence, since appetite rises with activity.

Nutrient values are averages for the stated preparation, based on the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR–NIN) and standard recipe analysis. Energy is reconciled against the macronutrients with Atwater factors on every build. General information only — not medical or nutrition advice. Home-cooked Indian food varies enormously with oil, ghee and portion size; every value here is an average for a stated serving, with the assumption shown.

SOURCE·IFCT 2017 + published recipe weights·REVIEWED JUL 2026

The people behind these sites

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This site and nine others like it are built and photographed by two people: Amit Sharma — behind the build; Geeta Patel — the poses, demonstrated. New work goes up on Instagram and Facebook before it reaches a page here.

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